#237 4 - 10 March 2005 16 pages Rs 30 KUNDA DIXIT epal’s donors who have taken a strong line against NKing Gyanendra’s February First move will meet soon to decide on future aid to Nepal. My cell Despite the sharp rhetoric, they appear torn between using Lifeblood An alarm clock, camera, video the aid leverage to push the king game, palmtop, digital phone civil liberties. But they add taking directory, paperweight. The to roll back February First while hasty decisions may hurt those Donors want to use the aid only thing it isn't is a phone. maintaining humanitarian and in need. development assistance to Nepal’s “There are lots of poor and transfusion to push rollback on p 8-9 poorest and the army’s counter- excluded people…and nobody curbs, but are wary of hurting insurgency capability. wants to put them under greater The government is putting on pressure or reduce the poor a brave face. First deputy the impact on chairman of the council of poverty,” Robert J ministers, Tulsi Giri, told us: “If Smith of the they don’t understand, we’re not British aid going to go down on our hands group, DfID and knees to grovel.” told us. King Gyanendra hasn’t yet met Other key ambassadors who returned donors have after consultations in their suspended some capitals last week. But he did projects and say they will channel Weekly Internet Poll # 174 summon editors on 25 February money through civil society. Q. Does this internet poll generally reflect to signal donors they should prevalent public opinion about Nepali “We will not be signing any issues? choose between “terrorism and new project or program agreement democracy”. The king added: “We with the government until further need our friends to help us in notice, but our support for the word and deed, if fighting work NGOs and civil society has terrorism is not their agenda, they not been directly impacted,” said Total votes:1072 have to tell us what is.” Martin Hermann of the Danish Weekly Internet Poll # 175. To vote go to: www.nepalitimes.com British ambassador Keith Embassy. Q... Should mobile phone services now be Bloomfield flew back to Brussels However, the government says restored? to attend a high-level European it wants INGOs to re-register and Union meeting on Thursday that work only with vetted groups, is charting a common line on the saying funds crisis. Nepal’s main donors are need to be Editorial p2 meeting again in London on 15 monitored so Let's backtrack March to harmonise their it doesn’t get positions. Nepal’s human rights into the wrong hands. Donors find record will also come under this unacceptable saying they may international spotlight later pull out if the rule is enforced. this month at the UN in Geneva. Not all donors have been as China, Pakistan, Russia and tough, and multilaterals have other Asian governments have taken a softer line. The Japanese said it is an internal matter, but are expected to announce two Nepal’s main donors say the agriculture projects next week. The king’s move will make it more World Bank said it was difficult to resolve the insur- “postponing” a $70 million gency. The question is what to tranche of its anti-poverty do about it. Britain signaled its budgetary support, but this had displeasure by suspending already been decided in December military aid but army sources because of previous governments' pooh-poohed it saying hard- failure to meet reform targets. The ware in the pipeline was not ADB clarified this week it wasn’t substantial. stopping its projects, but field Bilateral donors want to activities would be determined by link future aid to release of the security situation. political detainees, lifting the emergency and restoration of Reporting also by Naresh Newar 4 - 10 MARCH 2005 #237 15 Happily ever after CHIANG MAI—Fifty-five wanted to be one of the 55 newly-married couples from all couples. We had just got over the world came together married so we jumped at the in a northern Thai town this chance,” says Vivek. There week to tie the knot or renew were 55 couples because this their vows in mass nuptials. year is also the 55th wedding Our own Vivek and anniversary of Thailand’s Ayushma (circled, below) king and queen. INDRA DHOJ KSHETRI were also there, riding The wedding was BUMPER-TO-BUMPER: The monstrous traffic jam on the Mugling- elephants, dressing up in elaborate: it spanned three traditional Thai wedding gowns days starting with traditional Narayanghat highway on Saturday after a three-week rebel blockade was and re-marrying in the dancing on the tarmac as they lifted. traditional Lanna style. “It was stepped off the plane in everything we expected and Chiang Mai. There were more,” gushed an ecstatic ceremonial fireworks, Ayushma, 25, as she was elephant rides, special silk whisked from one venue to costumes and sight-seeing. another on hubby Vivek’s Ayushma is an intern at arms. ICIMOD and asked what the Vivek is the sales most special thing about the manager of Yeti Travels wedding was, she thinks for a looking after Royal Orchid moment and replies: “It was Holidays, so it was fitting that all so grand. I guess the Thai International should invite fireworks display on the last him for this legendary Chiang night was the most Mai Wedding extravaganza. overwhelming.” “Thai called and asked if we Aarti Basnyat AARTI BASNYAT KIRAN PANDAY SUN AND MOON: Pancha Kanyas take part in a peace rally in Kathmandu on Wednesday organised by the Nagarik Mul Samaroha 2061. KIRAN PANDAY THE WORLD’S A STAGE: Jat Sodhnu Jogi Ko a play directed by Anup Baral performed at the Sama Theatre, Gurukul on Sunday. KIRAN PANDAY DUET DUELS: A dohari competetion at Bhrikuti Mandap organised by the Nepal Lok Dohari Byabasahi Sangh on Monday. NOT ACCIDENTAL TOURISTS: PATA Chairman Ram Kohli, CEO Peter De Jong and General Manager of Soaltee Crown Plaza, Rajiv Malla, making rounds of the hotel during De Jong’s official visit to Kathmandu this week. SOUTH ASIA 4 - 10 MARCH 2005 #237 11 Could this be the end of Laloodom? Uniting all sections of people safeguards democratic freedoms J SRI RAMAN leader Ram Bilas Paswan, who makes no ‘Mandal’ against ‘kamandal’. Mandal is the credence to the belief that such cracks have common cause with the RJD. And it is all platform of social justice to be achieved developed in the Laloo constituency as the worse for the performance of the pre- through caste-based reservations in well. Fascism can be fought only by echnically, of course, Laloo Prasad poll alliance of the far-right BJP and the employment and education. Kamandal is uniting all sections of the people against it Yadav has not yet lost. He is still JDU, which has won a surprising 93 seats. the symbol for the communal-fascist camp. as a threat to all democratic freedoms. T trying to form a government in Bihar The elections have produced a hung Mandal proved an inadequate counter This is the broader lesson of the Bihar with wife Rabri Devi as the chief minister. assembly. In vain does Laloo ask his to kamandal for various reasons. Though it results. There is little doubt, however, that the supporters not to lose heart. The RJD may consolidates the beneficiary castes, the voters’ verdict in the recent elections to the have ended up the single largest party but Mandal process inevitably leads to cracks The writer is a journalist and peace state assembly has gone against the leader there is no way the fact of the party’s in the constituency. The Bihar results lend activist based in Chennai. who held unchallenged sway for the past failure to retain its earlier electoral support, 15 years. What needs to be debated is the spelling an easy majority, can be wished main cause of this political metamorphosis away. The fact is of more far-reaching in a region that has riveted media attention significance than many a media analysis of ever since his advent upon the scene. the results may suggest. A fake and futile debate has followed Laloo is a larger-than-state personality. the verdict. Some, in effect, say Laloo The decline of his political strength, Prasad has been defeated but not disgraced. therefore, has a larger-than-state Others argue that he has been disgraced but significance. not defeated. It is a defective debate on two Nothing reveals this counts. It makes personality politics better than the glee appear the main point at issue and it in the BJP-led interprets the election outcome in camp, even if the party immediate terms alone. itself may seem to have Laloo Prasad’s RJD won only 74 seats in slender chance of capturing power a house of 243. This is bad enough for a in Bihar. Laloo has been a thorn in party that hoped to return to power on its the BJP- and parivar-side for over a own. What makes the result worse for is decade. The anti-fascist capacity of the poor showing of its only significant this constituency was inherently ally, the Congress that ended with a limited as demonstrated by the princely tally of nine. It is none the worse election results in popular for the 29 seats bagged by the LJP of Dalit Indian political parlance of Line of passport controlRANJAN RAHI “Pakistanis, this way! Make a line Now the buses are running, why not make visas easier for Indians and Pakistanis? here!” A straggling line duly forms at Mumbai’s airport counter ‘Sarhadon ki Jugalbandi’ at Pragati appreciate the music- where Pakistanis entering India Maidan in Delhi, where they knowledgeable audiences they MHB’s Mekaal Hasan performing at a concert must register themselves.